Bulletin board



W. B. WARD BULLETIN BOARD March 6, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. '6, 1946 1 N VEN TOR. W/fl/a'm .5 Ward A TORNEY W. B- WARD BULLETIN BOARD March 6, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 6, 1946 INVENTOR. /%/////vfl%/// BY f "1' Patented Mar. 6, 1.951

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,544,404

I BULLETIN BOARD William B. Ward, Kansas City, Mo. Application September 6, 1946, Serial No. 695,126

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to bulletin boards particularly adapted to display sheets ofjprinted matter and the like to a group of observers when the same must be quickly changed from jtime to time andhaving as a part thereof, means for conveying certain information to the observers pertaining to the particular display sheet being carried by the bulletin board.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a bulletin board havinga pair of shiftable panels each provided with quickly releasable means for holding a bulletin .sheet on one face thereof, and having a cable and pulley assembly permitting movement of either of the panels to and from a predetermined position and so interconnecting the panels that the weight of one of the panels will hold the other panel in said position.

An important object of this invention is to provide in :a bulletin board having the aforesaid ,shiftable panels :as a part thereof, a compartmented case hingedly mounted above the panels and having a number of lamps in the compartments for illuminating the bulletinsheets when one of the panels is moved to the operative position, which case has a translucent plateprovided with indicia thereon "pertaining to data on the sheets, that is made visible when certain of said lamps are lighted.

Other objects will be madeclear or become apparent as the following specification proceeds, reference being had to the drawings wherein:

Figure .1 is a front elevational viewof a bulletin board made in accordance with my present invention, parts being broken away to reveal details dotted lines in Fig. 6. This case 44 is hollow and Fig. 6 is a wiring diagram showing the manner of energizing the electric lamps.

A bulletin board as set forth in the preferred embodiment thereof in the drawings is contemplated for use at ahorse racing track where spectators must be accurately informed of certain facts about the races, not only at the particular track but elsewhere, and other data such as the condition of the track, results of the race, etc.

' "The bulletin board unit consists of a hollow cabinet broadly designated by the numeral U3 having a back wall 12, side walls 4, a top .16 and a bottom l8. Each of the side walls 14 has a pair of longitudinal grooves 20 and 22 formed spaced-apart, in the inner faces thereof, which grooves extend the entire lengths of the walls I442 An inner-panel 24and an outer panel .26 areslidably mounted in the grooves 20 and 22 respectively through the medium of guide strips 28 that extend the entire length of each panel 24 and 26 and are mounted on the inner faces thereof along each longitudinal edge. These strips 28 extend laterally from the edges of the panels 724 and 26 to ride in the grooves .20 and 22, and a .U -shaped cross-bar 30. is fixed to theupper edge of each strip 28 byscrews 32 or analogous fastening means.

These bars 30 provide means for mounting the ends of a cable 34 that passes from the panel 24 over a pulley 36 to the panel 26. There is a cable and pulley assembly-on each of the walls 14 and the pulleys .36 are rotatably mountedin brackets 38 set in the upper edge of the walls I4 so that the axis of rotation of the pulley 36 is midway between the grooves 20 and 22. Therefore, as the panels 24 and 26'are shifted, the cable 34 will be guided in the grooves 20 and 22, and it is readily seen that since the panels 24 and 26 are identical, their weight be substantially the same. This fact plus frictional engagement of the strips 28 with the grooves 20 and 22 causes one of the panels to be held at the upperend of the-cabinet H] by the weight of "the other, When panel 24, for instance, is in such position near the top wall 16, upward movement, by the user, of the panel 26 will cause the panel 24 to move downwardly to a point where it will hold the panel 26 against the wall 16.

A pair of strips 40 and 42 mounted on each. of

the panels 24 and 26 near the upper and lower illustrated in Figs. 2, 4 and 5 to hold a bulletin sheet, usually of heavy cardboard, the nature and purpose ofwhich will hereinafter be more fully explained.

.A hollow case broadly designated by the numeral 44, and hingedly mounted to the top wall 16 as at '46, is divided into a number of compartments through the medium of a number of horizontal and vertical partitions 4-8 and 50 respectively, shown in Fig. 2 and schematically by closed in on all sides, the front wall thereof being formed from :a plate 52 of translucent material upon which certain indicia is marked in opaque letters.

Behind the plate 52 and. within each of the compartments formed by the partitions 48 and 50,15.

lamp 54 i mounted for illuminating the bulletin sheets on the panels 24 and 26 and for making the indicia on the plate :52 visible to the spectators. These lamps .54 are mounted in conventional sockets 56 fixed to :a false bottom 53 of the case 44.

The lamps 54 are controlledbya toggle switch 58 and a'pair-of selector switches 60 .and'BLca-rried by a support mounted within the cabinet .ilal midway between walls I 6.;and l8 thereof. The

length of each of the panels 24 and 26 is less than half the length or height of the cabinet I!) so that the switch-board or support 64 is exposed to permit manipulation of the switches when the panels 24 and 26 are at the upper and lower ends respectively of the cabinet Ill. The wires for supplying energy to the lamps 54 extent from the switches 58, 6 and 62 into the respective sockets 55 through a hollow conduit 66 mounted in the cabinet l0. 1

Referring now to Fig. 6, it will be seen that the case 44 is divided into three units or zones of lamps 48, namely an upper zone illustrated as having two rows of lamps 48 of four each, a middle zone having one lamp, and a lower zone having six lamps. Obviously, any number of lamps may be used and arranged in any suitable manner, but as illustrated the switches 50 and 62 control the upper and lower zones of lamps 54 respectively. Since the switches 69 and 62 are identical, only one will be explained, and it con- "sists '-'of a manually rotatable contact arm 68, movable over a number of fixed contacts 10, each corresponding with a respective lamp 54. The

{single lamp 54 comprising the middle zone of the 'case44 is energized when the switch 58 is closed, "through the following circuit:

From lead line 12, through wire 14, a safety fuse 16, wire I8, closed switch 58, wires 80 and 82, said single lamp 54, wires 84, 86, 88 and 90, fuse 92,"wii f'e '94, to the other side of the main source -o'f supply 96.

With the switch 58 thus closed, any one of the The numeral I is traced as follows:

From lead line 12 through wire 14, fuse 16, wire 18, switch 58, wires '30, I02 and [04, contact plate I06 of switch 60, contact arm 69, fixed contact 98, wire 408, lamp I00, wires H0 and 9, fuse 92, wire 94 to lead line 96.

The circuits for energizing the lamps 54 forming thelower zone of the case 44 are similarly traced through the selector switch 62 upon bringing the arm 68 thereof into contact with any one of its fixed contacts 19.

The portion of the plate 52 covering the upper zone of the case 44 has printed thereon such indicia as: At the'post, Coming out, Theyre off, Photo finish, Ofiicial, Not oilicial, Foul and Dead heat.

The lower zone of plate 52 carries the words Heavy, Slow, Fast, Muddy, and other indications of the conditions of the race track. In actual use a large number of units are placed in side-by-side'relation, each being independently operable, and each referring to a particular horse racing track. Thus, the middle zone of the pate 52 has the word Chicago, "New York, California or the like printed in relatively large letters thereon.

. It is clear from the foregoing that the name or locations-of the track may be'made visible by closing the switch 58 to energize the lamp 54 in the compartment of the case 44 immediately'behind this lettering on the plate 52. Then by operating the switch 59, the lamp 54 for illuminating the lettering with respect to certain facts concerning I the race will be energized. --And,

4, similarly, the condition of the track may be made known by selectively closing the switch 62.

It has been found desirable to have a thermostatic control for each of the lamps 54 of the upper and lower zones of the case 44 for the purpose of causing the lamps 54 to alternately burn bright and dim to attract attention to that portion of the lettering plate 44 which is made visible. This control consists of a bi-metallic thermostat inserted in each of the sockets 55 before the lamp 54 is placed therein, as is well-known in the art and for that reason, not illustrated in the drawmgs.

The face of the bulletin sheets placed on the panels 24 and 26 will have printed thereon the names and numbers of the entries with a space for noting the order of finishing. When one of the panels 24 or 26 is near thetop of the cabinet [0, the lower panel is in a position where the operator may change the bulletin sheet for the next race and the upper sheet will be illuminated by one of the lamps 54 that is lighted, particularly by the centermost lamp which burns steadily when switch 58 is closed.

The case 44 may be tilted to a position for mak-- ing such illumination possible and at the same time place the same in a position where it is most easily seen by the spectators. Any means for holding the case 44 in such adjusted position may be used.

Manifestly any number of modifications may be made in constructing a bulletin board in accordance with my present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a bulletin board of the kind'described, a. cabinet having means for mounting a bulletin sheet on one face thereof; a case carried by'the cabinet on one end thereof; a number of partitions in the case for dividing the case into a plurality of compartments; a translucent plate forming one face of the case, said plate having indicia thereon above each compartment respectively; a lamp in each compartment for rendering said indicia visible; and a, switching device adapted to close an electric circuit through selected lamps, said case being hingedly mounted on the cabinet for adjustably tilting the same to a position for directing rays of light emanating from lighted lamps through said plate toward the bulletin sheet for illuminating the same, said switching device being mounted in the cabinet, one of said panels extending above and one below said device when in operative position, for exposing said device whereby the same is accessible to the user. f

' WILLIAM B. WARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 144,917 Moeller Nov. 25, 1873 502,007 McCormick July 25, 1893 636,721 Gilman Nov. 7, 1899 1,030,339 Smith June 25, 1912 1,064,506 Loughlin June 10, 1913 2,125,994 Doering Aug. 9, 1938 2,221,335 Ward NOV. 12, 1940 

